I’ve decided to launch a blog! After some time participating as a speaker at external and internal events at Petrobras, and sharing videos on YouTube through PlanilheirosBrasil, under the guidance of the esteemed Fernando Garcia, I’ve chosen to diversify my communication platform to also reach those who prefer to read. In this space, I’ll share my thoughts in both Portuguese and English.

Here, I’ll delve into all things data-related, along with thoughts that often get lost in my memory due to lack of a larger audience to share them with. Consider this space as a personal diary, where I express MY perspective on data-related challenges in general, particularly regarding Microsoft’s tools. As an MVP (Most Valuable Professional) in the data platform category, we occasionally get early access to exciting updates before the general public. This allows us to have anticipatory insights and appear wiser than average. However, being an MVP often just means we’ve just had more time to think and/or direct access to Microsoft’s product team. This is a win-win relationship, as we help the community better connect with these tools, thereby increasing their adoption. And as an active MVP, I’ll certainly utilize this privilege.

From the perspective of those consuming technical content, besides videos – which I can’t always fully follow – I deepen my knowledge through extensive reading. I use Feedly to stay updated with the news in one place.

This relentless drive to seek new ways to solve the same problem gives us the experience and confidence needed to tackle new challenges assertively and based on our current knowledge. I emphasize “current,” because we all have our limitations and must humbly recognize that our knowledge, no matter how simple or complex, will never be the absolute truth.

I recall my high school days when my beloved Mathematics professor, Rodrigo Gondim, proposed an exercise (trigonometric identity, if I remember correctly) that consumed my entire weekend, without me being able to solve it. In the following class, he demonstrated five different methods to solve the same problem. Some were more direct, others more creative, but the lesson I absorbed and apply in my life is that we shouldn’t settle for knowing just one method, even if it’s optimized, as it is ideal for a specific scenario and may fail in different situations.

That’s exactly what data-based solutions offer. We should always make decisions based on the best data and knowledge available at the moment. We need to ensure we have the correct data as soon as possible and also master the necessary techniques/analyses before making any decision.

In the data universe, considering the variety of tools and languages, it’s common to have a limited view and suggest suboptimal solutions simply because we don’t know everything, or have a preference for a certain tool or approach simply because we master it. In this regard, Microsoft, with its monthly updates to Power BI, shows us that we need to stay updated. What seemed impossible or required a complex solution suddenly becomes simple and straightforward.

Whenever I reassess projects I’ve completed in the past, I consistently find areas for improvement. This realization, which is satisfying to me, signifies my professional growth and suggests that I could carry out the same tasks more effectively today.

This blog is an invitation to all who wish to join me on this journey of discovery and insights about the data universe. Let’s learn, share, and grow together, always seeking to enhance our skills and knowledge. Welcome, and enjoy the reading!

This blog post was enhanced with the assistance of ChatGPT-4